Category Archives: Television

The Last Righteous Man

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Righteousness has entered an anachronistic phase. Duplicity seems all the rage at the moment.

I have been watching reruns of CSI Miami. The Jerry Bruckheimer-produced show, which had a successful 10-year run on network television, is now in syndication on WE tv every weekend. It’s been my summer guilty pleasure.

If you remember the series, or have watched more than a smattering of episodes, you’ll be familiar with the show’s protagonist, Lieutenant Horatio Caine. Caine, played by veteran actor, David Caruso, is the rare alpha male on television these days. During our season of conflict and ambivalence regarding wrong and right, there’s little doubt where Caine comes down on any issue during the series’ hour-long story line.

Give 'em an hour and the CSI Miami team will always get the bad guy.

Give ’em an hour and the CSI Miami team will always get the bad guy.

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When Famous People Die

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When a well-known person, especially someone who acquires a considerable measure of fame dies suddenly, media (and now, social media) lights up with first the news, and then, reflections on the famous person’s life. The apparent suicide of actor, Robin Williams, is another case in point. Prior to Williams, you had the unexpected death of another actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, to a drug overdose.

My introduction to Robin Williams.

My introduction to Robin Williams.

People in the spotlight—actors, musicians, athletes, politicians—have their personalities and public personas broadcast into our living rooms, and their actions are splashed across the pages of newspapers, magazines, and tabloids, as well as the phenomenon of their “trending” status via a platform like Twitter. Continue reading →

What Can You Do?

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I have been limiting my intake of bad news and tragedy. To the best of my ability, I have disconnected from most vestiges of “grief porn.” Local news has hitched its wagon to this industry and viewers can’t get enough of it. Popular shows now fixate on zombies and the apocalypse. Americans have a predilection for this kind of thing and television execs know this and serve it up on a platter for mass consumption.

Humans are limited in their capacity to process tragedy and grief—yet, thanks to the media most consume it in unhealthy amounts, with death and mayhem just one remote or mouse click away. Continue reading →

Mother Russia and Matryoshka Dolls

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The Olympic propaganda onslaught has continued. The western media ‘s hypocrisy and double-standard has been on prominent display (if you know where to look) since Friday’s opening ceremonies. Journalists tweeting about their substandard accommodations personified every Ugly American stereotype. Then Google ran their diversity doodle, which was just weird. Continue reading →

Dirty Little Secret

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For as long as Miss Mary and I have been married (32 years this summer!!), we’ve had a television-based guilty pleasure. Actually, we didn’t have a Tee Vee for our first four years of marriage.

Once we got one, we usually found a television drama that captured our attention once a week, often for several seasons. A few of the past ones were St. Elsewhere, Thirty Something, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and The Wire. Continue reading →